Lady Ye Qingmei





  

BEWARE... SPOILERS AHEAD

 

The novel does not provide much details about Fan Xian's mother, Lady Ye Qingmei. There are only scattered bits within the seven volumes. Her character differs from the TV drama.

At age 4, she made it to the Divine Temple at the North Pole out of curiosity and with the intention of stealing items (martial books, a black chest with a powerful rifle, and guns). On her first trip, she escaped with the help of He Ku, who fought a “black entity that had the form of a human,” and Xiao En (the brother of Zhuang Mohan) at the temple's entrance. She gave the book to He Ku, promising that he would become a grandmaster with the book she gave him. Later, she gave a pill to Xiao En, who increased his cultivation to the ninth rank. She disappeared during their trip back to civilization. Xiao En told the story to Fan Xian in the cave before his death.

There is an important age gap to consider. We don’t know what happened to her between the ages of 4 and 15, nor do we understand how she ended up at the Divine Temple when she was just 4 years old. It seems likely that she was already a captive in the temple and managed to escape, as it would have been impossible for her to travel alone to the North Pole at such a young age. Therefore, the most logical explanation is that she was taken to the temple at 4 years old and later returned as she grew older.

Everything about her story requires us to use our imagination. Given that the temple kept many materials from the 20th century, she may have found a skidoo there to aid her escape and return. This could explain why she left Ku He and Xiao En at the beginning of their journey back. At this point, any scenario we imagine is a possibility, and no clues were found in the seven volumes.

It is not said when she returned to the Divine Temple to save Wu Zhu, but again, no details are provided about that event. It is mentioned that she was 15, and Wu Zhu was already her close servant (she treated him more like a friend, bodyguard, and brother).

On her first trip, she stole one item. The martial book was a compilation of studies on the effects of nuclear residues and their consequences for some individuals who could develop their meridians and their Zhenqi. This comprehensive study aimed to understand the humans who had the potential to absorb nuclear residues and ultimately achieve the ranks of ninth-ranked masters or grandmasters.

On the second trip, she stole two additional items. The black chest contained the most powerful rifle of the 20th century, which was utilized by the army and secret agents. These weapons were also among the most powerful in military history, and they were highly guarded at the Divine Temple.

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We know that at 15, she went to Dongyi peninsula, where she met another person who also became a Grandmaster. Ye QingMei contributed significantly to the people of Dongyi, but jealousy ultimately drove her to leave the state. She departed with Wu Zhu, who became her loyal servant, friend, and protector, and made her way to the Qing Empire. Along the journey, she arrived at Danzhou, where she encountered the Prince of Qing (not yet Emperor), Chen PingPing, and Fan Jian at Danzhou, and the destiny of all four people changed forever. They were all young adults.

The relationship between the Emperor and Ye QingMei was unusual. Ye QingMei never submitted to the Emperor, which was atypical for a male-female dynamic during this feudal era, where males dominated females. Everyone she met was astonished by her ideas and intelligence. After helping the prince ascend to the throne, she gained considerable influence over the government, establishing the Oversight Council, changing many rules, and creating multiple businesses that benefited the people and the palace. She transformed the Qing Empire and influenced nearby states like Dongyi and the Northern Qi Empire, becoming the most powerful figure, regardless of gender.

She was knowledgeable in martial arts, government, political structures, science, astronomy, and invention. She was an expert on almost every topic and had a remarkable intellect, likely off the charts. Despite her vast knowledge, she was naive, and her goal was to bring happiness to people. However, when necessary, she could also be ruthless. She also managed to trick the Emperor into having a child, Fan Xian.

She was the Emperor's former mistress. She chose not to marry him to maintain her freedom and avoid being part of the Emperor’s harem. Her inventions brought immense wealth to the royal family after her death. She established the Royal Treasury and the Overwatch Council, as well as a more equal system. She also transmigrated from the same century as Fan Xian, bringing a vast knowledge of previous worlds and using it to help the prince become the new Emperor. Her reputation instilled fear in many, as she was the Emperor's one true love. Tragically, she was assassinated two months after giving birth to Fan Xian.

The Divine Temple wanted her dead because she disturbed its plans to keep this new world in a long-term feudal era with no possibility of evolving to nuclear knowledge. Ye QingMei, on the other hand, thought that the commoners of this new world needed to benefit from the modern lifestyle. It was a major conflict. Sadly, her success and brilliance brought jealousy to the Palace and some high-level officials.

This character was never ‘alive’ in the story. Fan Xian suspected she had kept her memories from another world, like him, when he saw the contents of the black chest that Wu Zhu had kept and all the inventions she had created. He assumed that she was a genius scientist in her previous life. It is also possible that she was like him, very thankful to have had a second chance to be reborn, and decided, with her knowledge of the 21st century and intellect, to remodel the new world to help the commoners have a better day-to-day life with more equality and justice. In this process, she left behind a significant legacy taken by the Royal Treasure.

Fan Xian is quite different; he is more selfish and understands that his mother had a beautiful but naive dream. Her rise to power led to jealousy and hostility, culminating in her assassination shortly after she gave birth to her son, Fan Xian. His priorities are himself, his family, and the people he protects. Then come the commoners.

She was just an extraordinary woman, loved by many and hated by some. She inspired devotion and love but also hate and jealousy.

The novel offers limited information about her transmigration (rebirth) and life. We can construct a narrative by piecing together small details, which raises more questions than answers. Although her story does not significantly influence Fan Xian's journey, the author chose not to elaborate on her character, which feels like a missed opportunity. She is an intriguing character who deserves more attention. However, volume 7 provided many answers and satisfied my imagination.

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Tianmai (天脉者) is described as the heavenly bloodline left in the human world. According to the legends, a bloodline is awakened in the human world every few hundred years. When Fan Xian appears in this new world, they have disappeared, leaving only obscure records, though nothing that could prove their existence (Source: Fandom). Ye QingMei was suspected to be a Tianmai, and Fan Xian was the son of a Tianmai. The word ‘Tianmai’ does not exist in Chinese vocabulary. A gifted person with the blood of Heaven and Earth in their veins appears only once every five hundred years. (Fan Xian, Chapter 179)

The word ‘Tianmai’ does not exist in the Chinese language. However, a city resembles it on Google Maps. The author took incredible liberties with names and locations in his work of fiction.

Combination of Qing and Mei. Alternatively, the first character can be used as 清 (qīng) meaning "pure, clean," 庆 (qìng) meaning "celebration" or 晴 (qíng) meaning "clear/fine weather."